Device for the care of the teeth and mouth



July 1, 1930. E. MAJOR 1,769,747

DEVICE FOR THE CARE OF THE TEETH AND OUTH Filed Jan. 22. 1929 PatentedJuly 1, 1930 EMIL MAJOR, OF BUDAPEST, HUNGARY DEVICE FOR THE CARE OF THETEETH AND MOUTH Application flied January There is a gradually growingtendency perceptible in the dental profession to limit the use of thetooth brush. The reason for this is that the tooth brush frequentlycauses injury to the teeth, the so called cuneiform defects and also achronic inflammation of the gums. It 1s difiicult to keep the toothbrushclean and its bristles form a constant germ carrier. The hard pointed 1bristles, during their con'stant daily use, in-

jure the mucous membrane of' the mouth and penetrate the torn tissue,the result being t at the dentist is frequently compelled to prohibitthe use of the tooth brush withl out however being able to recommend anequivalent substitute for the same.

A further disadvanta e of the ordinary toothbrush resides in -t e factthat some bristle fibers during their repeated use are liable to comeout or tear and the separating fibers enter the various organs of thebody through the mouth, thereby causing diseases,

comphcations and the like.

Interchangeable tooth brush inserts are 26 known per se but they havenot proved practicable because they were made in the same manner as thebrush part of the ordinary toothbrush and consequently their'cost omanufacture .was comparatively hi h since 30 the use of a new insert foreach in 'vidual cleaning of the teeth was inconceivable for economicreasons, while on the other hand the attachment .of the insert to thebrush handle required a complicated. construction which not onlyincreased the cost of manufacture but also caused the use of a shapelesshandle and the heavy.fastening members, which could only be imperfectlycleaned, and were liable to injure the mouth.

The present invention relates to a device for the care of the teeth andmouth which in itself forms asubstitute for the present type oftoothbrush and the media for cleaning and disinfecting the teeth and themouth,

namely, mouth wash, tooth powder and tooth paste. y v The accompanyingdrawing shows a constructional form, by way of example, of the devicefor the care of the teeth and the 22, 1929, Serial No. 334,241, and inHungary August 1, 1928.

mouth which constitutes the subject matter of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the end of the handle per seconstructed to hold the insert which latter is adapted to be used on?once,

igure 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Figure 1 of the handle withthe insert shown in position therein and shown in side elevation, and 50Figure 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Figure 2 through the handleand the insert. Similar characters of reference are employed in all ofthe above described views to indicate corresponding parts. Referring nowmore particularly to the accompanying drawing there is provided a handle1 having one and enlarged and provided with a cavity 2 adapted toreceive the insert 3 to be used once only. The opening 2 permits of the7 insertion of the insert into the cavity. An opening 2 slightly smallerthan the opening 2* communicates with the cavity 2 at a point oppositethe opening 2, said opening and the rinsing of the cavity 2. The opening2 which in eiiect constitutes the month i of the cavity is smaller andshorter than the cavity 2. The insert 3 according to Figure 3 comprisesa wooden core 3, a layer of Q0 wadding 3 surrounding the latter and thinvegetable fibers, for instance, domingo, or aloe hemp fibers 3 placedover the layer of wadding 3". The free ends of the bundle of fibers 3lie closely against each other and 5 form a brush. The fibers 3 arefastened together by means of a layer or coating of water-insolublelacquer 3 on both sides of and level with the core 3* and also to thelayer of wadding 3*. The layer of waddin 3 permits on the one hand theelastic de ormation of the lower or brush part of the insert andfacilities on the other hand the fastenin of the fibers 3 by means ofThe layer of wad the layers 0 lacquer 3. 'ding 3 and. the fibers 3 ma beimpregnated with a'preparation for the care of the teeth and mouth andprovided with a coating 3 which is soluble in water and when dissolvedconstitutesa mouth wash. The

2 facilitating the'removal of the insert 76 ducin coating 3', forinstance, a sugar solution prepared with disinfectants presents theescape of the readily volatile disinfectants and preparations for thecare of the mouth.

The insert may also be used without impregnation or preparation withoutdeparting from the spirit of the resent invention. The extremely finevegeta le fibers as compared with animal bristles constitute per se sucha large rubbin rubbing su stance, or instance, detrimental tooth powderwhich deposits at the base of the teethyis not re uired. The vegetablefibers are also soft, 0 not affect the gums and do not break and tear.As they render the use of special mouth wash and dental creamsuperfluous, they are competitive owi to their great hygienicadvantages. The 'ower part of the insert surrounding the core 3 isslightly wider and longer than the opening 2" but may undergo a sli htelastic deformation in both directions. he

elastic deformation is mainly insured by the inner layer of waddin 3".The handle which is preferably ma e of celluloid adjacent to the opening2 may also undergo aslight elastic deformation. When introthe insert,the fibers 3 are also slight y pressed together so that as a finalresult the insert is full secured owing to its own elasticity and t eelasticity of the edge adjacent to the opening 2 without the use of secial fastening means and the fibers cannot all out of the cavity 2.

The handle and insert constitute accordin to the invention a combinedunit.

t is believed in view of the foregoing description that a furtherdetailed description is entirely unnecessary. Likewise it is believedthat the advantages of the invention will be readily, a parent.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent is 1. As an article ofmanufacture, a tooth cleansing and brushing insert comprising a core, awedding about the core, brushing fibers about the waddin a waterinsoluble wadding and. core together, and a tooth surface that a specialslightly greater than the length and width of the main opening of thecavity removably enga d with the cavity due to its flexibility an theresiliency of the handle. 4

3. A device for the care of the teeth and mouth includin an insert to beused once only and comprising an elongated fixed core, a layer of waddinsurroundin the core, a bundle of vegeta le fibers coi ed around thelayer of wedding and fastened thereto by means of a layer ofwater-insoluble lacquer in combination with a resilient handle having acavity formed at the end thereof and adapted to receive an edge of theinsert adjacent to the core, exactly corresponding with the dimensionsof this part of the insert and provided with an, opening through whichthe insert is introduced said opening being slightly smaller in lengthand width than the part of theinsert-ad'acent to the core that theinsert can only inserted in the cavity owing to the elastic deformationof the insert and the elastic deformation of the edge of the o eningthrough which the insert is introduced In testimony whereof I afiix mysignature.

DR. EMIL MAJOR.

cleansing com osition about the brushing fibers and he ng a watersoluble coating thereabout.

2. A device of the character described, in-

clud' in combination a resilient handle, one on of which is enlarged andprovided with a cavity the opening of which terminates short of beingalso communicating with the cavity at a point opposite the main openinof the cavity, a slightly flexible insert r brushing and cleansing theteeth and adapted to be used only once and having a length and a widththe ends of themainpart Of the cavity, the end portion of thehandleprovided with another opening,

